Greetings. If you've ever doubted that our government has money to burn, you need only read the infuriating story of the Navy's plans to spend more than half a million dollars to alter the landscaping and roof of a barracks near San Diego that happens to look like a swastika when viewed via Google Maps, Google Earth, or similar services (it's in a commercial aircraft no-fly zone, so your average airline passenger can't see it from their flights).

The shape was apparently noticed by the Navy back in the late 60s shortly after groundbreaking, but they wisely decided not to spend taxpayer money making changes.

Now, after the shape revelation via Google aerial images, and complaints from the Anti-Defamation League in San Diego, the Navy has embarked on this significant waste of money. I'd say "colossal" waste, but obviously $600K means nothing to the Navy or the federal government, even though it likely would mean a hell of a lot to you or me.

Calling the Pentagon! If you've got money to spare for this sort of nonsense, Congress needs to be taking yet another look at your appropriations -- 'cause this expenditure stinks to high heaven.

And as for the Anti-Defamation League in San Diego, give us a break and spend your time dealing with serious issues within your mandate. There are plenty of them out there. Wasting government time and money by demanding building retrofits like this is unacceptable.

Has everyone gone completely crazy? At least nobody has blamed Google for this one ... yet.

--Lauren--